in the settlements whether it's here or other federal agencies, is the very aggressive stand early in the discussion. we have more time, more lawyers and more money than you do settle or continue to fight? we have to look at this and be sure that nobodiments taxpayer money wasted or spent in fraudulent ways but there's a better way than how we pursue now to see that that doesn't happen. another issue that you worked on as you are more and more impacted by doctor compensation is the sgr. i think we have to permanently

fix this. i was a freshman in the house of representatives when the legislation passed that created annual cutting of compensation and i voted against it. i don't know how many there were that voted against it not have many but i said many times may have been the best vote i cast. i look at this and looks like two things here. we're making any mistake a crime. surely, that can't be what the government wants to do and then we create a big pay-for that i believe will never be used. it really never has been used. i think one time in the decade the sgr was actually allowed to go into force, but it takes energy from health care, doctors, and others who come to washington to do everything they can to see their compensation is no lower than it was the year before. this can't be a good way to pursue this for lots of reasons.

the cbo has -- congressional budget office, has come up with a lower number to permanently fix this than we with have ever seen before, and we should take advantage of the lower number and permanently fix it however we need to. it was always in my view a phony pay-for and surely, there were people who were smarter than me who could have figured out when the bill was on the floor that we were not going to be cutting compensation every year so what would we do? just use this as an excuse to have health care providers come back and say okay if you don't want the cut what else can you give us? that can't be the best way to move forward. it's time to stop kicking that can down the road and do as much as we k. i think chairman wyden will look at that carefully whether we get that done thissier or not. i don't know but we should and we should have got it done

closer to the beginning of the process than right now because it's just created in many ways annual embarrassment where providers take time every year to say okay this is why we have to be paid at least as much as we were paid five years ago six years ago, and seven years ago and now we are where we are. i'd also like to talk a little bit about medical liability reform. on the list of things that i introduced or sponsored or cosponsored in 2009 when, by the way, there's a wide view by the administration that there was no other alternative out there, well, there were plenty alternatives out this, just not 2600 page bill. there were things like liability reform creating the market place, expanding the market place buying across state lines more transparency by health care

providers the ability to expand high risk pools. i get contacts every day from missourians who when the 4000 people on the high risk pool when it went out of existence december 31 virtually they don't have insurance that's not substantially higher than it was in the high risk pool and in our state, in the high risk pool you pay 135% of the normal premium and remember, you had a preexisting condition, 135% of the normal premium was what you paid then virtually everybody pays more than that now. expanding the high risk pool knowing the groups you were dealing with figuring out tow -- how to fund that in a more substantial way would have been one of the ways to create the answer to the problem what happens if i don't have insurance and i have a preexisting condition. nobodiments people to be in that -- nobody wants people in that

trap, there's a better way to do this. the biggest one was 75 pages long, and they would have all had positive impacts on the system. one of them was medical liability reform. still something that is now with current administration something that doesn't get talk about as much as it should but you understand the driving liability system better than any group i can probably talk to other than doctors themselves and we have to do something about that. i introduced legislation again in the last congress, and this congress that has companion legislation in the house that would essentially restructure liability reform. also in the last congress i introduced legislation where if people come to the emergency room without insurance, you'd have the same liability exposure in federally qualified clinics which is no liability exposure for most cases. it's people come in don't have

insurance, you're required to treat them the same liability exposure in federally qualified clinics could expand to the emergency room as well. i think that 21st century can be a and will be a rapidly and positively changing time unless we don't em brace everything that could happen. we'll look back two decades from now and realize in our lifetime what a truly infant science health care was. everything from smart phones to 3-d printing can impact health care in ways i think are not anticipated yet. we need to be sure that federal government is involved enough to protect consumers but not so involved that we slow down the innovations that happen. between all the technology that's out there and hopefully

increased research at nih doubled nih funding between 1995 and 2005, i'd like to see it doubled again and nih funding and other research can make a tremendous difference in how we deal with people's health care challenges howie prevent challenges, and from becoming as big as they otherwise might be what we can do can make this really a great decade and great future for health care and for those who provide health care and, clearly, at the front of all of that argument, we're going to see hospitals and the changing role of hospitals. i look forward to being part of that as your role changes but i look forward to being part of the immediate challenges faced by trying to be sure that trying to start a new program we don't make it impossible to provide the quality health care that american hospitals have been providing and hopefully continue

to provide. thank you for letting me come this morning. thank you, all. [applause]

>> and now to london for prime minister's question time live from the british house of

commons. every wednesday while parliament is in session prime minister david cameron takes questions from members of the house of commons. prior to question time the house is wrapping up other business. this is live coverage on c-span2 c-span2. >> talked about 12% of women across india have been using -- and a school dropout -- [inaudible] what support are you giving to women's health across the world? >> the relation is important, and we know investing women's health, whether it's family planning whether it's postnatal, it gives a good return on investment and they can help women have a more productive life old enabling them to work and then reinvest that in their homes.

so it's key issue. she's quite right to raise this issue. >> order. questions to the prime minister. sir peter bone. >> thank you mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues -- mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> peter bone. >> mr. speaker, -- [inaudible] 2000 new jobs. local conservative councils, north telegraph, the listening campaign and my listening campaign have all supported this proposal. in nine years in parliament i have never known of the development that has so much public support. could be prime minister is his best effort to ensure that the outcome of the public inquiry is announced as soon as possible? >> i know my honorable friend

campaigned vigorously for his constituents and for local businesses and for job creating developments like this one. as i'm sure he is aware i'm not able to get involved in specific planning decisions i understand the decision on this application will be made as it's possible and that was all the secretary of state taking to account all the representations including from the honorable gentleman that he receives. >> mr. ed miliband. [shouting] >> mr. speaker the loss of a country has been watching events in ukraine with great concern to does the prime minister agree that russians actions in surrounding ukraine military sites violating ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity are completely without any justification? does he further agreed these actions deserve to be condemned unreservedly across the international community? >> first of all i agree with the right honorable gym that what russia has done is completely unacceptable. we should be clear about our national interest and our aim in

all of this. our national interest is that we have a strong interest in a world where the rule of law is upheld, where territorial integrity is suspected, stability is a vital part of our long-term economic plan and we should be clear our aim is to deter further russian military action and to de-escalate the situation and he's completely right to say that the action by the russian government should be condemned by the whole world. >> mr. speaker i'm sure we agree there needs to be continued pressure on the russian government and i will come to that issue but all members will welcome the talks that are going on as we speed between u.s. secretary of state john kerry and foreign minister lavrov. given the fertility of the situation on the ground, does the prime minister agreed one important outcome from these talks would be if they lead to direct high level talks between russia and ukraine? >> in order to de-escalate the situation the most important thing that should be arranged is a forum for discussions in which the russians and ukrainians can

speak to each other. there have been some contacts between russia ministers and ukrainian ministers. this morning their meetings taking place in paris covering other issues as well but there has been some progress in putting together a contact group, an idea i proposed to the prime minister back in january to start having a group of countries around russia and ukraine to encourage such dialogue to take place. that's the single most important thing that could help to de-escalate the situation. >> mr. speaker, clearly we all up for a good outcome from those talks by the eu also has a crucial role to play. does he agree the eu at the leaders of some of tomorrow must show it is up for the task of dealing with the biggest security crisis on this continent since kosovo? given the issues raised by the uk's opposition from the document, can he tell us what uk will be -- including keeping open the prospect of trade sanctions? >> first of all it is important

that the european union shows the unity of purpose and a clear voice tomorrow at the leaders meeting. what i think we need to do is first of all the absolute clear that the status quo we're faced with today where russian troops are outside their bases in the crimea is acceptable. as i said costs and consequences need to follow from the. that is why, for instance, with suspended preparations for the g8 meeting. indeed it is hard to see in these current circumstances how we g8 meeting can properly go ahead. wewe have withdrawn royal visits in minister visits to the sochi paralympic games. orthere are further steps we should consider even as we look at the current status quote, but we also need to consider what extra steps what extra as i put it political, economic and diplomatic steps to take to discourage russia. >> i completely share his view

about the g8 and the other matters that he mentioned. let me raise one of issue within. when he was leader of the opposition in 2008 prior to the invasion of georgy said this -- shopping on a week in the russian armies can march into the countries are russian shoppers carry on because he agree with me that we do not see the required action from russia we should look at asset freezes and troubled restrictions on individuals so that russia is clear about a consequence of his actions of? >> as i have put it women look at the diplomatic economic and political steps we can take nothing should be off the table. we've already taken some important steps in terms of ukrainian corrupt oligarchs in making sure that their assets are properly dealt with including here in the uk if that's the case. he should rule out other things for the future but as i try to explain today i think there are those steps we need to take in respect of the current unacceptable situation and

didn't agree with our european partners and our american partners and i'll be speaking to president obama this afternoon, and meeting with angela merkel the for the european council tomorrow, agree with what further steps should be taken as well. >> i'm sure he will push for as broad agreement as possible at the eu council and we welcome that. let me ask you about the ukraine government and support for them. is a great part of the way forward is providing them with that support, while making clear to them that the government needs to be inclusive and protect the rights of the russian speaking population within the ukraine? does he agree there's there is no reason for russia to believe that strengthening ties to ukraine and the eu needs to be at the expense of russian? >> i think it is important to write audible chairman says they should not be seen as a tug-of-war between the european union and russia. we should be in favor of the ukrainian people being able to choose their own future. in my view this has been as much about the ukrainian people

wanting to lean towards a better relationship with the european union as much about that as wanting to get rid of the him calling -- appalling level of corruption that had to put up with in their government. i think that is the key thing. i think it's welcomed the foreign secretary and right that he was the first international leader to go to kiev and meet with ukrainian leaders. he made two important points. one is they must make sure they have an inclusive set of institutions and rules and laws in the ukraine, and did not discriminate against minorities or russian speakers but also we stand ready as members of the european union, as leading players in the international monetary fund to help the ukraine and in its hour of need. there are all sorts of steps the new ukrainian government to make in order to make it possible but if they can do that then wished we should stand by them in their hour of need. >> i welcome that let me say this finally. all of us recognize this is a delicate and dangerous moment of international security.

it is a combination of diplomacy result in international community, and support for the ukraine government and ukrainian self-determination that is the best hope for securing and into this crisis. i can assure the prime minister the government will have our full support. >> i'm very grateful of what the right honorable showman has said this morning. just as we need to see tomorrow a voice of unity and clarity from the countries of the european union, not always easy to get -- 20 different nations around the table but it's also very welcome there is such a clear and unified voice went out from this house. to say to the russian government what you've done is wrong what you've done should not be allowed to stand and still be costs and consequences not only for what has been done already but for the costs and consequences if you take this further. >> thank you mr. speaker. last week a judge sentenced a man nine years in prison for

causing the death by dangerous driving of two teenage girls. given that about his exact -- is for you for life does the trick agree it's high time we look again at the maximum sentence by looking at death by dangerous driving? >> can i congratulate my friend on her happy news of the weekend and assure members across the house will want to join in on that. >> here, here. >> the point about death and dangerous driving is an issue that was raised prior to questions last week and as i said then i think it's important that the lord chancellor and his department are carefully about what more we can do to make sure we send the clearest possible message about the acceptability of this crime. >> thank you, mr. speaker. last july the prime minister rightly promised legislation banning internet race convicts who can explain to parents why classic scene of his criminal justice in courts bill doesn't ban simulated child abuse are staged rape online?

>> the honorable lady has a long track record of arguing about these issues and i think it was very welcome that we made the announcement today and raise and that is being carried through. i look very carefully at the measures that she is raising an issue she is raising out. i think we do have a good record about putting in place stronger internet filters about working with the industry to make sure that searches for unacceptable terms can be made and for separate legislators like banning rape porn. >> in 2009 there were 610 -- [inaudible] out of work. last month that number -- [inaudible] creating opportunities for young people for who never again see the

massive waste of young talent -- [shouting] >> i think but are no friend is right to raise national apprenticeship week to it is a really important moment to advertise businesses, large and small the advantage is of taking on apprentices. what we will see during this parliament is to million of partnerships start. that is what we are aiming for. 1.6 million have already taken place. as he says unemployment in his own constituency has fallen as has the claimant count and we want to see many more apprentices and what is a small from coming for taking on the first apprentice. >> in 2006 a seven year old and a little brother died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a faulty boiler at their home. their father and his partner narrowly escaped with their lives. after seven agonizing years at the inquest is about to begin. the legal aid agency has refused

the family funding to be legally represented at the inquest and on friday thomas cook tried to prevent the inquest from even taking place. will the prime minister meet with me and the parents fear why it is imperative that the parents are legally represented at this inquest so the full facts are learned surrounding their children to death so that no other british family suffers a similar tragedy when they take their children on holiday? >> i do remember this absolutely tragic case and its appalling it is taken so long for the inquest to take place. when you've lost a job you want to know the answers and why it happened and what it could have been prevented. and that lessons will be learned for the future so i'm very content to arrange the meetings that she talks about to help in this case and to make sure the foreign office who do i think an excellent job at helping people when they're dealing with issues overseas is doing all they can to help her constituents.

>> unemployment has dropped from 3.4% -- [shouting] and equally important the youth unemployment has dropped 6.3% to 4.4% since 2010. with the prime minister agree with me that chancellors long-term economic plan is working? and following the recent success of the jobs fair we join me in thanking braintree district council, jobs district council job center plus an eight night for all the hard work they're doing and encouraging local businesses to hire young people. [shouting] >> my honorable friend has a very strong track record of campaigning and fighting for these issues. he cofounded the million jobs campaign and let's recognize the fact we've created a million new jobs, more than a million under this government. one of the things my friend was pushing for was the under 21 should not have to pay national insurance contributions when they are employed and that

something brought in in the autumn state what you think it will make a huge difference. the braintree youth jobs there is also made a difference locally. i know the party opposite seemed to have grown as soon as unemployment falling. but the fact is it is falling across the country and that's a very welcome sign that are long-term economic plan is working. >> thank you, mr. speaker. does the prime minister sure my astonishment, decision announced yesterday that "the express" which covers train services across the whole of the north of england is to lose one in eight of its trains which are to be transferred to a different realm for the greater comfort and convenience of commuters in the south of england? isn't that your constituency? [shouting]

>> is he aware -- is he aware that services -- already amongst the most overcrowded in the country? and witty -- [shouting] >> order. the right honorable gentleman will be heard. however long it takes. the quicker people remember their manners, the better. the right honorable gentleman. spinning i just just a tip members opposite try to does maybe a laughing matter to them. it is certainly not a laughing matter to people in the north of england. >> here, here. >> could he bear in mind that this decision has been made without the agreement of the company but --

[inaudible] >> prime minister. [shouting] >> order. border. i was there to the right honorable gentleman that the question was friendly too long. the prime minister. >> i will look very carefully at the point the right honorable gentleman raises. what i would say of course with the announced plans to electrified the railway line which i think will make a big difference and also we are going ahead with the northern hub that will also make a difference and so these are big big steps forward. i hope he won't find it too cheeky if i point out that the lines that both he and i use of course is also received a lot of extra investment under this government and he now enjoys a double track line we makes his journey from my constituency into london. [laughter] [shouting] >> thank you.

not me? >> not you. [laughter] spent another time if the honorable gentleman is lucky. >> thank you, mr. speaker. my thanks to the prime minister for all the effort in securing -- [inaudible] can ask -- [inaudible] >> it was a huge pleasure with the honorable gentleman to visit and see the quality of the apprenticeships that ea systems is offering a bill in the typhoon aircraft and actually superb aircraft. i can give you my assurance that i will go on banging the drum for british exports, including defense exports. we had a very good progress with the order which will secure and shape our jobs in his

constituency. and, frankly, i was criticized by the party opposite for taking defense contractors on trade missions overseas. they don't think it's appropriate i think it is appropriate. i think we should be standing up for defense industry and defensive jobs. >> will the prime minister ended speculation over the future of the hunting act by confirming that he doesn't intend to use a statutory to repay or remember the act live removing the limits on the number of dogs that can be used? >> well, this will quite probably be a matter for the house of commons, as he will know what has happened is a group of welsh and other members of parliament have looked at a particular problem of pest control in upland areas of whales and other parts of the country. they are making a proposal. the proposal will be properly examined by the department and and and the house of commons will be able to decide. >> thank you, mr. speaker. further to my honorable friend's

question and during national apprenticeships week, we should so but the fact that in the last year half a million people nearly doubled, nearly doubled the number who start in 2009-10. we shouldn't -- with the prime minister agree with me when you to do more to incentivize schools to promote apprenticeships and assume more still to get employed to come forward, particularly for young people? >> my friend speaks about this with great commitment because of his chairmanship of the education select committee. the point in i've discussed which is very important as we need to make sure we're giving the clearest possible information to our young people in schools about the choices they can make. i think the academic part has been well set out and well understood including all of britain's teachers big we needed understood what opportunities are for vacation will education -- vocational education because

you have to turn long-term. you can carry out a degree turning and learning at the same time. >> this year is the eu third year attacking foodways. given the absolute scandal of 40% of the food being wasted in this country and huge number of people we know happen to good food banks because they can't afford to feed themselves and their families, with the prime minister throw his weight in the initiative and support efforts to reduce foodways do for this country? >> i think it's important to tackle the issue of food waste in a number of important debates have been held in this house and in westminster hall about this issue. i think the most important thing in terms of helping people with their weekly budgeted to make sure we keep growing the economy hitting people back to work creating jobs and also to keep peoples pakistan to get more of their own money to spend as they choose. >> thank you, mr. speaker. over the last few months in somerset we've had a deluge of

film cameras which is now receding to a barely to go but the floods are still with us. this week we will have reduced the local strategy. that shows that long-term local management of the rivers cannot be met within the constraints of local government finance. will he commit to me that whatever needs to be changed will be changed and give us a sustainable management for the future? >> i would commend all of the somerset mps for working together extremely well bringingbringtogether all the local agencies including ea local council farmers and others to try and come up with a ride a long-term solution for the people of somerset. i agree with them the cameras and the press have now departed but it's important we don't take our eye off the important issue of during the somerset levels. i'm getting reports another for choosing the report from him and other colleagues about what needs to be done. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

we have known for months that our aid in the department are in trouble but now almost 30,000 this is have been -- outside a hospital. does the primus network at not having got a grip on this issue a bit more quickly? >> the point i would make to the honorable lady is that we have met the a&e targets more time this winter than when the shadow health secretary was sitting in the cabinet with responsibility for the nhs. i would commend what are doctors and nurses and a&e department of done because they are coping with around 120 million more a&e attendances every year than when we came to power and 2010 but i think they've done magnificent work and are doing it on the basis of having not only many thousand more doctors that i can tell the house we now have in the nhs 2000 more nurses than 2010. that is more nurses in our nhs

than anytime than -- [shouting] and that's a record this government can be proud of. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the village of barrow has to than 300 houses. the local authority have given permission for just over 100 new houses there. but the planning inspector has overturned the refusal of the local authority and will oppose 504 more houses into that village against the wishes of the local mp, the local authority, and the local people. will my right honorable friend look again at the workings of the planning inspector to ensure that from now on the planning inspector puts the wishes of local people at the heart of the localism act as he intended to? >> i will look very carefully at the specific incident that the honorable member brings to the house. the point i would make is this.

that under the localism act, local authorities are able to produce a local plan and give had agreed which will give local people greater control over what is built and where and in the meantime things are judged against the national planning policy framework which does have protections for green belt. it does insist on going ahead with brownfield development and it does take into account pre-existing local plants. if that means -- if that needs to be clarified, clarify it we will. >> first, the government held northern counselors to stop the caps in the hopes of a handout. then the high court ruled government cuts in european funding for livable and chest it was legal. what does all this essay about government? >> i think what i would say to the honorable lady is of course liverpool, the city she represents has huge needs in terms of funding and i believe

the funding that it gets reflects those needs but if you look at the spending in liverpool, for 2014 it is 2595 pounds per dwelling. now the needs of her constituency are much greater than the needs of my constituency but that is a full 700 pounds more per dwelling that is spent in my constituency. i don't believe that the people of liverpool are being shortchanged. they are properly funded for the services that they need. [shouting] >> thank you, mr. speaker. last year i met a surgeon elites the outstanding cancer team turkey explained it is one of the fastest growing cancers in the west but also one of the hardest to treat. surgery is grueling incredibly painful and many people are unaware that the consistent heartburn and difficulty

swallowing can be symptoms of a softer deal cancer. will he commit to raising much-needed awareness of this terrible disease and assure the nhs has resources to diagnose are no? >> i think my friend is right to raise the issue of about how we increase awareness of cancer. because that has an important effect in terms of early diagnosis. nhs england is currently running a pilot in the northeast and north congress to raise awareness as part of its be clear on cancer campaign. we are committing more than 459 pounds of additional funding to support his early diagnosis but i think the absolute key is making sure more people have the cancer discovered from trips to the gp and from their own inspections and self-awareness rather than finding out these things in emergency often when it is too late. >> thank you, mr. speaker. there's almost a 1 million young people unemployed here at the uk. more than a million people -- in

my constituency people are 11 pounds worse off. how is the prime minister have the audacity to suggest his party is a working party? [shouting] >> let me give them the figures for the northeast since the last election. there are 24000 more people and work in the northeast since last election. there are 40000 more private-sector jobs since the last election. unemployment has fallen -- tee shot and because he does want to hear the answer on long-term economic plan. he can talk about -- >> order. the honorable honorable gentleman should be shouted biggest asked the question. let him hear the answer. >> he should be asked about the massive expansion of providing jobs and northeast but he could be talk about the new train factory that will be built in the northeast. all of this shows the plan is working and, frankly, more important than these figures is

the fact that every single job means another family with a payback was with stability, with the security with a piece up on this government is all about. [shouting] >> thank you, mr. speaker. [inaudible] will my honorable friend agree with me that early while you're learning as greatly -- building which is vital to our economic plan to? >> i would certainly agree with the honorable friend that the big companies in britain they are taking on apprentices in larger and larger numbers and that usually welcome. i think the challenge for us now is to encourage the small and medium-sized enterprises a britain to take on apprentices. we need to make it simpler and we've done that. we need to make sure it pays and

we've done that. we need to advertise to promote to these companies what a great job of petitions can do for them and for the country. [inaudible] youth unemployment, published in house of commons. it shows -- [inaudible] >> of course there is still too many people unemployed in our country but the fact is there are 1.6 million new private-sector jobs, 1.3 million more people in work. big cuts in unemployed, big reduction in the claimant count and also have the mine few people rely on out of work benefits. that's would want to do and,

frankly, we haven't forgotten the record of the labour party. unemployment rose by nearly half a million. female unemployed rose by 24% and use unemployed went up by 45%. instead of giving lectures they should be making an apology. >> thank you mr. speaker. in recognizing british success at the oscars, with the prime minister join me in saying congratulation for me university where over 50 graduates help with the design effect of that amazing british film gravity? doesn't that prove that we lead the way and additional need is a great person -- destination? and does amazing party conferences as well. [laughter] >> well as ever he is right about all of those things. the university does have excellent courses that have helped to build up the british postproduction and facilities industry which is now so busy

helping to create these blockbuster films. it's very good news to see that not only are we winning oscars for british films but i joined the british studios are full of the bursting point making movies and also the facilities industry and the post production industry is now leading the world. we need to go on back in this industry. that's what my chancellor has been making steps with things like helping the gaming, the computer games industry, also helping high end of television and continuing to back the very important film tax credits that it works so very well. >> thank you mr. speaker. recently east coast and in service and private companies, thousands of pounds in wages. does the prime minister agree that the best way to protect patient staffing nhs resources is to extend federal information to private companies bidding for nhs contracts and stop the invasion of --

[inaudible] >> obviously i will look carefully at the individual case that he raises but what i would say is this government is putting 12.7 billion pounds into the nhs and i don't believe that we should rule out saying that other organizations cannot help to deliver nhs services if we look at the engine broke hospital in cambridge it is not providing much better services because of the changes we have made. i look at what he says about the freedom of information request but i think it's important that we have the health service that can access the best of both public and private involuntary. >> it's good news the prime minister has apparently resuscitated plans for a recall bill but can he confirm he intends to push ahead with a genuine system of recall and not fall back on the deputy premise of the which has been widely discredited which is recall in name only and which wouldn't empower those in any meaningful sense at all? >> i fear it will be difficult

to satisfy my honorable friend on this point. i think we should proceed taking the draft taking that as a starting point for what i think would be an excellent report, reform we committed to in our manifesto although it was committed to in the coalition agreement and that is to say that its members of parliament are seriously in breach of standards and judged to be so, then they should have to wait for general elections receive the verdict of their constituents. >> order. >> here on c-span2 believe the british house of commons not as they move onto other legislative business. you have been watching prime minister's question time and herbalife winces at 7 a.m. eastern while part of it is in session. you can see this weeks question time began sunday night at nine eastern and pacific on c-span. and for more information go to c-span.org, click on c-span series for prime minister's question, plus laser international news meeting and legislatures around the world.

you can also want watch recent video including programs you with other international issues. c-span to providing live coverage of the u.s. senate floor proceedings and key public policy events and every weekend booktv, now for 15 years the only television network devoted to nonfiction books and authors. c-span2 created by the cable tv industry and funded by your local cable or satellite provider. watch us in hd like this on facebook and follow us on twitter. >> giunta leadership program of the rockies conference james carafano of heritage foundation discuss the 2012 attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi and the obama administration's foreign policy. this is about 40 minutes. >> so how many of you know that i am substitute speaker?

i don't know how you guys feel about that. doesn't bother me at all. actually i didn't the substitute speaker for many famous and powerful people. i'm not making this -- i have filled in for very important centers like jon kyl and john mccain. i have spoken in place of high government officials like secretary of state decades. i have filled in for some of the most influential americans in the country like steve forbes or any my most important speaking whatever i was kiefer sutherland but if that doesn't affect you then i won't tell you about ben affleck. they asked me to talk about benghazi antiquing and you thought this is really cool because we'll get the inside story of benghazi, you will be really disappointed. i was one of the first people to testify before the congress after the attack on the consulate and at the time we did know anything more than what

we've seen on tv. and what i told the congressman is look we have literally hundreds of consulate missions and embassies around the world that are considered high risk, that are essentially in the gun sights of al-qaeda or other evil people. the most important thing we can get out of this tragic episode is if we can learn things to make sure that we can keep those people safe in the future. out late for them was for question that essentially had to be answered so we could understand what went wrong at benghazi and that we can make sure it never happened again. it's tragic but he was it really years later and i can tell you on is that i can answer those four questions. i can answer part of them, but i can answer all of them. but what i can tell you is what benghazi means, what it means to have this president works in foreign policy and national security.

and more importantly what it means to the future of this country. i guess to get the question, i will try to be brief because i would love to dialogue but have to give you my definition of brief. it's very personal. a couple years ago like i was in iowa and the guy picked me up at the airport and he said dr. carafano were so excited you were here. everybody is so looking forward to your talk. we have really wanted to do this for a really, really long time. we want to have you last year but last year we had an opportunity of a lot of really good speakers which that somehow i felt. no no. you don't understand, this is the year the democratic primary. there's about 47 democrats running for president. we have at every democratic candidate for president appeared before our group and we had joe biden twice. look, i know how many of you actually listen to joe biden talk, but the soul of brevity is not. everybody gets five minutes when you testify.

the guy asked a question and five minutes ask a question and answer. biden would talk for five minutes, for the record, have you thought about what i just said, so when it got to the event i was receptive ear, i know you're excited to engage in the subject, i will try to be brief but i understand your that joe biden twice so the bar is not very high. when president obama took the widest and anybody that would be honest with the event no idea what kind of president foreign policy president he was going to be because he had no record in foreign policy. and if you look at his statement versus john mccain statement they were almost identical. you couldn't parse anything. once he entered the white house we didn't start out attacking the president because look we are a think tank. the heritage foundation is a nonpartisan think tank and it's our job to observe and comment, not to attack. so we spent a year really studying how the president

exercised foreign policy, and there are two remarkable things became a. despite the fact that almost no expense in foreign policy, this president has been the foreign policy decision maker in this white house. every major foreign policy issue that this administration cares about has gotten decided in the oval office. he is a decided, no question about that. the other thing which we thought was quite remarkable is that was actually a doctorate, actually an identifiable pattern of behavior believe behind what he does. it has three characteristics to it, three elements and i will outline very quickly. the first is you spend more time with your enemies than you do with your friends. i guess this is kind of a holdover of chicago politics which is low, and people are giving you trouble sit down and say let's make a deal. protect a little of your turf, i'll protect all of my. cut a deal. you spend more time negotiating with your enemy than you do building relationships with your

friends. the second is is just beginning but he but the bush. president obama since the beginning has really tried to live the progressive dream of foreign policy which is in a sense substituting soft power for hard power. the notion is the personal charisma of the president and his the building to speak and think and manage is the substitute for defending yourself and provisional military capability, and that the key is for america to play more restrained, and more or less obvious a smaller role in the world. everything is everything else basically you outsource. you outsource international institutions. and if you actually look at the president's major foreign policy decisions that he is made throughout his presidency, they fit within the rubric extreme extreme. fan -- benghazi is a signature

for the bombing at the station because libya basically illustrates more than anything else what a colossal failure that foreign policy was. libya was the president supposed to come. this is like i can do this. i don't need to do big armies. i can rely on other people. we did have a small footprint at least make everything come out right. benghazi proved a lease in the case of libya that was a dramatic, under tragedy. what it resulted in is a foreign policy in the second administration which is this bizarre combination of risk aversion and recklessness. after benghazi the president became incredibly risk-averse and want to engage in foreign affairs. i think the moderate of the white house is if you get us if you get is two wins we can build a library. but on the other hand, in the sense of not wanting to do anything the president has felt compelled to create the illusion that he is doing something.

so they engage in these incredibly risky behaviors or reckless behavior to pretend they're doing something. they cut deals on syrian chemical weapons would strengthen the assad regime and prolongs the civil war. they headed into negotiate with the iranians which is much more likely to proliferate and to perpetuate the crisis rather than reduce the heat called putin of all people to we work out and bring peace to the ukraine. so it's this odd combination which is really resulted in almost -- we could argue this and i would love to do this, on virtually every corner of american foreign policy in the world today, i would argue we were worse off than when the president took office. for the president, it's almost whatever. at the end of their term as they become lame ducks they tend to shy away from domestic policy as things become difficult. people are looking towards the

next election as it turned foreign policy is kind of their stamp on their legacy but i don't think we'll see that from this president. i think from this president we're going to succeed just trying to get through to the end and it's almost in a sense too late to say it. the foreign policy and national sector to policy of this administration. what we need to do is look to the future. that's interesting. i don't know if you saw this recently, paramount pictures bought the rights to make a movie about benghazi. paramount which made such diverse films as jackasses back grandpa. but that raises a lot of interesting russians which is what kind of benghazi movies are you going to make? it's very unlikely they're going to make an obama bashing movie because obama is a lame duck and nobody innocents we already don't care anymore. if you make a movie that might come out and lie, i don't know

2015, gee, who might be running for president in 2015 that was involved in benghazi? hillary clinton or joe biden maybe biden has stock in paramount. it's always chancy when you're in hollywood to make a movie in a run up to an election. you probably remember during the last election the of about "zero dark thirty" that was a movie about taking out bin laden. the producers that make the movie, because the buzz was that is going to become this is going to be kind of an obama commercial for reelection. than the producers were so concerned about that and they were so concerned about the negative impact on the film but they went around washington in the with congressional leaders and think tanks. i spent about two hours 20 running for now this is not a pro-obama movie. and in the end of out of postponing the release of the film until after the election so

wouldn't get all tight in the election. it's always chancy from a film maker standpoint is do you really want to jump in politics when you try to make a film which tells the ground truth? there's a couple of options. you can go to the "zero dark thirty" read and should wait until after the election. the other one is think of two "black hawk down." this is an amazing unbelievable picture about bravery and courage of americans in combat but it's about a failed mission in somalia and everything goes wrong and the only thing it's just a complete and utter disaster but you just sit there and you just wonder why the hell did we get these people that go in the most impossible situation and will do anything, anything for their buddies anything to get the job -- it's an incredible, inspiring film except if you don't know anything but history there's almost no context. you wouldn't even know that bill clinton was president.

it's totally -- you would know gee maybe the dudes that sent them there has something to do with a screwed up situation which these poor guys were stuck in. you could make a film and take all that out and make it about what happened on the ground. or you could just lie or make stuff up which hollywood is good at. remember wag the dog? wag the dog was a black comedy basically the plot was the president has got some domestic troubles leak rates of war to distract the country. when the film came out a lot of people thought it was true. they thought it was about clinton and the scandal and an the balkans. estimate fact that ms. became so much reality that bill cohen, the secretary of defense testified before the 9/11 commission. i just think this is incredible. here he is testifying before the 9/11 commission, how the commission, how to help would have have a test attack on u.s. soil when we had to get up and say dude wag the dog was just a movie. it's not how we were running the

country. we worked really creating wars distract people from domestic policy. hollywood can say whatever they want. i always remind people when i get calls about this all the time about "zero dark thirty" or lone survivor, some of the movie, what about this? i always tell them, duty it's a movie. you're not supposed to take reality away from it. what i thought about this and i actually thought regardless of who, when you on the left or the right or what your politics are, if you really cared about the future of this country and you recognize that we're walking into a period in which we're going to take national leaders we'll have to do with alexia president obama has left us you could make a film that would actually get people thinking. and it could be pretty powerful actually. the one thing i can tell you for

a fact because actually normally we beat up the senate and the congress and of like a 3% approval rating, autos that's incredibly well-deserved, but on this issue congress has actually been pretty good. if you look at the report that were put out by the senate and the house they actually have a good deal of information about what happened in benghazi, particularly the latest how support and we can debate a lot of things about, and am happy to talk if you want about the video and who knew what when, but the one thing that's in the spiegel, the evidence which cannot be denied, this is absolutely a rocksolid fact, is that we knew everybody knew from the highest levels of the white house to the guys standing at the gate in the consulate that the security situation in that country was totally unacceptable. and the people were extremely high risk. that is not debatable. we also knew and this is undebatable that we did not have

a plan to deal with that. we didn't have a plan to improve the security and we certainly didn't have a plan to do something its a nightmare scenario happened, which it did. so why would that be an important message for the american people to hear lex because when president obama leads office -- leaves office another we have available in that region to protect men and women in consulates, in embassies, is going to be smaller than it was on the day of benghazi. when you look at the situation in north africa and the middle east you say oh my god, this is a much more turbulent part of the world than it was two years ago. the groups that are out to get us are more empowered than ever in this part of the world. and you are telling me that the

capacity that we are going to have to deal with that is less than it was when one of the greatest debacles in the history of the security of the state department happened? really? when you look around at the alliances and the partners that we have in the region, that their confidence in us and our ability to depend on them is weaker than ever really? this is where i get a little emotional, and maybe not think tank rational you know, i've lived through four periods in our nation's history in which we've hollowed out our military because kashmir in which we really stop paying attention to our own interests and will. it really started with my father. my father is a korean war veteran and i was really america's first post-world war ii a hollow army. we wrote off large portion of

the world. we simply will build refrigerators. and the korean war broke out and then despite the fact we are completely unready, this is was a part of were we simply said we had written a plan to we're not going to defend that. truly woke up one morning and said to defend south korea. and i don't know how many -- truman. i don't know how many of you studied the korean war but the opening salvo those incredibly disastrous episode of the american military. some the stories are just beyond belief but they are true. this is true so a young west point graduate much like myself second lieutenant, first job in the army gets sent into blood the north korean invasion and here he is, never been in combat before. he barely knows the people in his platoon but they come, take up a defensive position so he removed his west point textbook how you ready the troops in a defensive position. then he and the first sergeant

senior nco, climb to the top of a help to can survey survey the ground and they're up there and while they're sitting there the nco this guy is like combat veteran from world war ii drop into normandy, and the lieutenant is thinking this is great. i've got my sturdy right arm to guide me in to my first trials of. the nco is like, he's completely -- opens up a can of beans and start eating a can of beans. can look across the horizon and movingmoving cloud. so that they realize the entire north korean army is coming right at them. they concede they concede screening calls on north korea and troops and tanks rolling -- these guys are just sitting there with rifles. tanks are rolling at them by the hundreds. the lieutenant doesn't want to appear panicky because he's got his trusty -- he turns to sergeant and he goes well tom what do you think we should do? the sergeant says, i don't know what you're going to do but i'm going to run.

that's an absolute hoot -- another story which is true, any people who have been stationed at fort carson or in the army, you have a forward observer, the diocese and tells you if you're hitting them or not to the forward observer is in another you know, and he's out there and after the north korean army sweeps over the first thing, they're coming at his so he exonerated and he gets on the radio and difficult because there in the mountains and indications are difficult, sketchy and scratchy. he hears the voice he can barely make out and it's going take, they are coming, fired the mortars. and the voice comes back and you know the mortars are all out of ammunition. he goes, well let's call in some artillery the guy said sorry, the artillery has been overrun. he goes well can i get some fire support? know the planes are still in japan. he said could we get some naval

gunfire support? know, the ships were in the other side of the country. and then finally exasperated, the guy said we send me a camera and i'll take a picture of this damn thing? those are funny stories but the reality is, is many good men died because we were unprepared and with our nation at risk. north korea almost grew into a global conflict that was a pathetic and unforgivable failure on the part of people in washington who were supposed to be protecting and defenders. that wouldn't be so that bad if i had to live with that legacy hearing my father tell me stories about the korean war and going going going off in the company wanted him in and coming back with 10. at the age of 22 being a senior person alive. in the company. but we did it again in the 1970s after vietnam.

under jimmy carter. we did it again under clinton in large part "black hawk down" was the disaster was because we were unprepared for 9/11, largely because of the peace dividend we took under clinton. and we are about to do that again and this is maybe the most dangerous it's ever been because the same time innocents we are cutting our military we've also never been a poor stewardship of our alliances around the world and the friends and partnerships that help add and extend our security. this i think creates an enormous task for you and i. more than you could possibly think. i'm sure you came in here coming to this conference and thinking they're things i can do to make my marriage better or maybe to advocate maybe we can fix some a responsible policies in washington, we can deal with welfare issues and education but look, part of our responsibility is the care of

our nation. and at the end of of his presidency term it is going to be an incredibly grave risk their and we have to do something. and what we have to do us you me us is we have to tell the leaders of the conservative movement that this is an issue that they have to care about. doesn't matter what the policies of that argument doesn't matter if it holds well that it's their responsibility. because fundamentally the constitution says the one thing governments have to do is provide for the common defense. promote this be nice to that and don't mess this up there but it says it is your duty to provide for the defense of this nation. we have to tell our conservative leaders if you want to lead this movement, you have to take that responsibility seriously. [applause]

this isn't hard. you don't have to have a ph.d in international relations. i have to do is ask them to believe in the heart of hearts three things. the first one is that they have to be brave enough and courageous enough to fight the caricature that the foreign policy of the united states is some stupid choice between running home and hiding from the rest of the world or being the world's placement. that's real foreign policy, real foreign policy leadership is about a leader who is prudent, to use his judgment and has the courage and character to look after america's interest in the world. the second is that they have to commit to being good stewards of our national defense, of our armed forces. i got to tell you these kids today that are defending us

they are the greatest -- every generation is the greatest generation of. [applause] but, and they know this is coming. i talk to them. they know that bad days are coming. the days in which broken equipment and not enough money to train, they know those days are training. and you know why? they're still going to put the uniform on every day and go to work. [applause] and the third thing is we need leaders that are out there fostering alliances that are going to raise america up instead of cutting deals that drag america down. i mean that is all you have to ask from these people. just these three things. have the courage to stand for a prudent foreign policy in which judgment is what is driving it not politics. have the courage to be a steward of the men and women who are willing to fight and defend us

and go forth and be a force to do good in the world and find alliances and partners to lift america up instead of dragging it down. look, this may be the most important thing i have to tell you. what we do today echoes for decades. ..